River water quality water is valued for many reasons including ecological function and habitat, recreational value, its role in supporting people and industry, and its cultural significance. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth, however too much in rivers can lead to ‘nuisance’ growths of river algae and aquatic plants, degrading habitat. High concentrations in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen can be toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Water clarity is a measure of underwater visibility, and affects habitat of aquatic life such as fish and birds, and can also impact on aesthetic values and recreational use of rivers and streams. Escherichia coli (E.coli) can indicate the presence of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) from animal or human faeces, which can cause illness.

River water quality water is valued for many reasons including ecological function and habitat, recreational value, its role in supporting people and industry, and its cultural significance. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth, however too much can lead to ‘nuisance’ growths of river algae and aquatic plants, degrading habitat. High concentrations in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen can be toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Water clarity is a measure of underwater visibility, and affects habitat of aquatic life such as fish and birds, and can also impact on aesthetic values and recreational use of rivers and streams. Escherichia coli (E.coli) can indicate the presence of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) from animal or human faeces, which can cause illness.

File contains raw data collected at NIWA monitored sites of the National River Water Quality Network (NRWQN) over the period 1989-2013. The NRWQN network is used to calculate national trends in river water quality. Fields are described as follows. Refer to Larned et al. 2015 for further details: sID ---- Unique site ID srcid ---- Region site is located in sflag ---- River (r) or Estuary (e) river ---- River name location ---- Name of site nzmge ---- easting nzmgn ---- northing NZReach ---- REC1 segment identifier sDate ---- sample date Q ---- Recorded flow when sample was taken, cumecs npid ---- NIWA parameter ID (as used in Larned et al. 2015) values ---- Parameter value (units are mg/m3, except CLAR (m) and ECOLI (n/100 mL))

River water quality water is valued for many reasons including ecological function and habitat, recreational value, its role in supporting people and industry, and its cultural significance. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for plant growth, however too much in rivers can lead to ‘nuisance’ growths of river algae and aquatic plants, degrading habitat. High concentrations in the form of ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen can be toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Water clarity is a measure of underwater visibility, and affects habitat of aquatic life such as fish and birds, and can also impact on aesthetic values and recreational use of rivers and streams. Escherichia coli bacteria can indicate the presence of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) from animal or human faeces, which can cause illness.
State (percentile) results for the following parameters, by monitored site for the period 2009–2013, are provided. Refer to Larned at al (2015) for further details.

River flow is the quantity of water passing a point over a certain time. Each river or stream has its own natural flow characteristics, such as peak flows following rain or high spring flows from snow melt. Overall, this affects how much water is available for irrigation, drinking water, hydroelectricity generation, and recreational activities. River flows also influence a waterway’s physical form, habitat, and ecological processes like migration, spawning, and food supply for aquatic life.

This dataset relates to the "The geographic pattern of river flows" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth. It occurs naturally in the environment but is added in agricultural processes (typically as fertiliser) to boost production. Although much of the applied nitrogen is taken up by plants, livestock waste returns a considerable amount to the soil. Nitrate formed from this waste easily drains (leaches) from the soil before plants can absorb it, and it can enter waterways, potentially harming ecosystems.

This dataset relates to the "Trends in nitrogen leaching from agricultural activities" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

When nutrients accumulate in lakes (referred to as ‘nutrient enrichment’) above certain levels, they can make the lakes murky and green with algae, and lower oxygen levels. Lakes with extremely poor water quality are rarely suitable for recreation and provide poor habitats for aquatic species.

Groundwater is the water stored beneath Earth’s surface in aquifers (layers of water-bearing rock or sand). It is used for human and stock drinking water, irrigation, and industry, and also has a role in sustaining some rivers, lakes, and wetlands, especially during low-flow periods. The health of surface-water ecosystems also depends on groundwater.

Regional councils issue resource consents for the taking of fresh water for various purposes, including irrigation, drinking, hydroelectricity, and industry. Water can be taken from surface water or groundwater.

The file provides the primary source and primary use of the water take for each consented take.

Groundwater is the water stored beneath Earth’s surface in aquifers (layers of water-bearing rock or sand). It is used for human and stock drinking water, irrigation, and industry, and also has a role in sustaining some rivers, lakes, and wetlands, especially during low-flow periods. The health of surface-water ecosystems also depends on groundwater.